April 7 is National Check Your Statement Day!

“Secure your future, #checkyourstatement today on mySocialSecurity!” For more than 80 years, Social Security has been securing today and tomorrow for America’s workers and their families. To help secure your today and tomorrow we ask that you check your Social Security Statement every year because we base our benefit calculations on the earnings information in the Statement. Errors could prevent …

Michigan governor seeks more Medicaid coverage for Flint residents

By Associated Press  | February 14, 2016 Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is asking the federal government to expand Medicaidcoverage to people under 21 and pregnant women who have been exposed to Flint’s lead-contaminated water. In a statement released Sunday, Snyder says about 15,000 more Flint residents would benefit if the government approves the request. The governor says the state would help by …

Branch-St. Joseph staff

Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging Receives Navigator Award from MMAP, Inc.

Area Agency on Aging Staff (from left to right): Belinda Whitely, Deanna Himebaugh, Laura Sutter, Melissa Cramton and Megan Bentley – this year’s recipients of the SHIP Navigator Award (photo provided by Area Agency on Aging) Rebecca Burns, Health Officer for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, the Agency that oversees the AAA office, adds “We are very proud of …

CMS finalizes controversial Medicaid outpatient drug rule

By Virgil Dickson  | January 21, 2016 By April 1, state Medicaid agencies must start reimbursing pharmacies for prescription drugs based on actual acquisition costs according to a final rule released Thursday. Medicaid programs until now have reimbursed pharmacies for prescription drugs based on the ingredient costs for the drug and a dispensing fee for filling the prescription, according to the …

Michigan Medicaid waiver appears to save eligibility for 600,000 residents

By Virgil Dickson  | December 17, 2015 The CMS denied a request to allow Michigan to increase cost-sharing for Medicaid beneficiaries but granted other provisions of an unusual take-it-or-leave-it waiver application submitted under a mandate from state lawmakers. The terms are outlined in the approved waiver sent to the state Thursday. Earlier this fall, Michigan submitted a take-it-or-leave-it request to the …

mother and daughter

Giving Tuesday Raised $117 Million for Charities, Early Figures Show

BOSTON — Giving Tuesday, a charitable initiative which uses social media as its catalyst, raised nearly $117 million in online donations, a jump of 155 percent over last year, according to preliminary calculations exclusively provided to Reuters by the event’s organizers. In the 24 hours starting at midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday, U.S. charities reported receiving 1.08 million donations. “We …

rx dollar bill

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports:

Medicare spending, which represented 20 percent of national health spending in 2014, grew 5.5 percent to $618.7 billion, a faster increase than the 3.0 percent growth in 2013. The 2014 rate of growth was driven by increased spending growth for retail prescription drugs and in Medicare Advantage. Per-enrollee spending increased by 2.4 percent. Average growth in per-enrollee spending was 7.0 …